Forging machines



April 9, 1963 G. H. APPEL 3,084,571

FORGING MACHINES I Filed June 20. 1960 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

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FORGING MACHINES Filed June 20. 1960 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 205 205 20% 9+- 7 5* F3 El INVENTOR. GERHARD H. APPEL ATTORNEYS April 9., 1963 a. H. APPEL' 3,084,571

FORGING MACHINES Filed June 20. 1960 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTOR.

GERHARD H. APPEL' BY v ATTORNEYS April 9, 1963 s. H. APPEL 7 FORGING MACHINES Filed June 20. 1960 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 IN V EN TOR.

GERHARD H. APPEL ATTORNEYS April 9, 1963 G. H. APPEL 3,084,571

FORGING MACHINES Filed June 20. 1960 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 INVENTOR.

GERHARD H. APPEL FF 11 BY g ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,084,571 FORGING MACHINES Gerhard H. Appel, Belle River, Ontario, Canada, assignor to Appel Process, Ltd., Oshawa, ()ntario, Canada Filed June 20, 1960, Ser. No. 37,443 2 Claims. (Cl. 78-21) .This invention relates to forging machines of the type having three or more opposed tools or dies arranged on radii of the axis of an axially movable workpiece and circumferentially embracing it; plus means which transmit forces to the tools. Particularly does this invention relate to such means.

This invention also relates to high speed forging machines of the type stated having at least three opposed tools or dies arranged on radii of the axis of an axially movable workpiece and which circumferentially embrace it; plus movable cams which transmit forces to the tools. Each tool is acted upon by two oppositely acting simultaneously movable cams so that the opposed components of said forces are balanced out and so that only the radial components of said forces are applied by said cams to said tools and through the tools applied as compressive forging forces to the workpiece.

This invention also relates to machines of the type shown in my United States Patent 2,986,051 of May 30, 1961, differing therefrom in that rotors or rotating rings, instead of push-pull rod type drivers are used as the means for moving the cams to move the dies inwardly.

My United States Patent 2,986,051 shows a machine wherein there are four forging tools or dies or driven members arranged circumferentially around the workpiece on radii of the axis of the workpiece. The dies are actuated by cams which bias the dies inwardly. The cams in this patent are on the ends of reciprocating drivers in the form of driving rods reciprocated by eccentrics mounted upon rotary shafts on which are pinions and rotated simultaneously by a ring gear rotated by a prime mover. It will be understood that as the prime mover rotates, it causes the ring gear to rotate, in turn rotating the pinions on the shafts to rotate these shafts and cause these shafts through their eccentrics to reciprocate the rods and thus through the action of the cams on the ends of these rods, with appropriate rollers, to move the dies inwardly for forging action.

The principal point to be stressed here is that there are in my United States Patent 2,986,051 two opposite equal simultaneously acting forces applied to each die by the two cams for that die; and that these cams are moved because they are on the ends of rods which reciprocate.

In this specification I describe alternate arrangements for imparting two opposed forces to each die in a machine of the character described, arrangements other than cams on rods.

For an understanding of this specification, reference should be had to the appended drawings.

In these drawings:

FIGS. 1 to and FIGS. 6 to 11 show two different modifications.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of one embodiment.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are transverse section views on lines 2-2 and 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of certain parts and FIG. 5 is an exploded view of certain other parts.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a second embodiment.

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 are transverse section views on lines 77, 8-8, and 9-9 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 10 is an end view as if on line 10-10 of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 illustrates one part of this embodiment.

The drawings show in FIGS. 1-5 and FIGS. 6-11 two different means for imparting two opposed forces to the die and more particularly the drawings show rotors for moving cams axially or longitudinally and these cams bias the dies inwardly. iAs contrasted from my prior United States Patent 2,986,051, what is new here is the use of cams which move longitudinally or axially and rotors as a means for biasing the cams axially or longitudinally, with these cams so arranged that when so biased they bias the dies inwardly. The parts are so arranged that each die is subjected to the action of a plurality of cams which approach a die simultaneously from opposite directions and thus impart to that die opposed equal simultaneous forces with the plurality of cams for that die being considered as oppositely acting movable members whose non-radial components of forces are balanced out leaving only radial components of forces applied by these cams to the dies.

We now specifically refer to the drawings.

FIGS. l5

These figures show a hollow drive shaft 50 having a cage 51 cooperating with a second cage 52 to provide a housing having radial slots 52a containing dies 53 and die movers 54. Cage 52 also mounts a ring 55. Parts 50-51-52 and 55 together form a drive system as well as a means for receiving and guiding and restraining and mounting the die movers and dies for radial movement in the rotary drive system.

The drive system operates through gear faces 56 and 57 on cage 51 and ring 55 which cooperate with small planetary gears 60 and 61 meshing with gear faces 58 and 59 of larger rotors 62 and 63. These rotors 62 and 63 have faces 65 and 66 profiled as cams which through rollers -76 impart opposed longitudinal or axial thrusts upon cam rings 70-71 which, when they move longitudinally or axially, act through rollers 72 and 73 seated in reliefs of cam rings 70-71 to bias the die movers 54 and the dies 53 radially inwardly.

Rollers 75-76, engaging cam edges 65-66 of rotors 62-6 3, ride in slots 77-78 of a large locating ring 79 inside the housing 80. Cam rings 70-71 have profiled faces 82-83 against which these rollers 75-76 bear.

Because of the cam faces at 65-66 and 82-83, rotation of rotors 62-63 causes cam rings 70-71 to move axially or longitudinally oppositely left and right and thus move the die movers and dies radially.

Rings 62-63 rotate in the same direction but this direction is opposite to the direction of rotation of cam rings 70-71 and this in effect gives a desirable counterbalancing action.

FIGS. 6-11 These figures show a hollow drive shaft 201 having gear formed faces 201w meshing with pinions 202 in turn meshing with gear formed faces 203m of a ring gear 203 whose faces 20Gb are profiled with cams on which roll tapered rollers 204 which cooperate with profiled faces 205a of cam rings 205 which have cam faces 205b cooperating with rollers 206 for moving die movens 207 and dies 208 radially inwardly towards axis A of a workpiece in the throat of dies 208. Dies 208 and die movers 207 seat in radial slots 209 of shaft 201.

Bearings 210 journal shafts 211 in ball bearings 212, thrust bearings 213, and ball bearings 214 and in the space between gear rings 203 and cam rings 205. Each shaft 211. supports a pinion 202 and a roller 204.

Shafts 211 and their associated parts are enclosed by hearing housings 21-6. Bearings 217 separate gear rings 203 from housing cover 218 and the housing is completed by another cover 221 and a cylinder housing 226.

Drive shaft 201 is journalled in covers 218-221 in bearings 219 and 223.

Inside the drive shaft 201 is a die cover and retainer 222.

Rollers 206 are journalled by thrust pins 224 and bearings 225.

Operation As drive shaft 201 rotates it acts through small pinions 202 to rotate ring gears 203 and these in turn acting through small tapered rollers 204 and the profiled faces 20317 and 205a bias the cam rings 205 axially or longitudinally whereby to bias the dies radially inwardly.

It will be observed that the pinions 202 and the rollers 204 on shafts 211 in the housings 216 are at fixed positions, whereby the rotary speeds of parts 202--203204- 2052'06207-208 are constant with respect to the rotary speed of the drive shaft 201. Hence there is no possible fluctuation in the number of strokes per minute where the speed of the drive shaft is constant, regardless of the resistance offered by the workpiece, as contrasted from the case in presently known mechanisms where there is but one rotating cam ring having profiled cams on its inner edge which engage the outer ends of the radial dies to move these dies inwardly as the ring rotates and its cams pass by the outer ends of the dies.

It will be observed that regardless of the difierences among the two embodiments here shown there are certain resemblances as follows. The dies are biased radially by the axial or longitudinal motion of cams in the form of cam rings. These cams are moved axially or longitudinally, not 'by push rods, but rather by rotors. 'Ihese rotors are perpendicular to the workpiece axis and rotate around that axis.

Now having described the embodiments herein disclosed reference should be had to the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. A forming machine having at least three opposed coplanar forming dies arranged on radii of the axis of an axially movable workpiece and adapted to embrace it circumferentia'lly;

two drivers in parallel planes on opposite sides of the plane of the dies and disposed outside the outer ends of the dies;

cooperating cam formations on the inner surfaces of the drivers and the outer ends of the dies for camming the dies inwardly;

said drivers being arranged to move axially, i.e., along the axis of the workpiece;

such drivers acting oppositely, equally, axially, and

simultaneously so that such action cams the dies inwardly with the axial components of the camming forces being balanced out so that only the net radial components of the camming forces are applied to said dies;

and rotors on opposite sides of the drivers rotating on the axis of the workpiece for moving the drivers axially;

cam formations operatively connecting the rotors and drivers, whereby rotation of the rotors on the Workpiece :axis cams the drivers axially and thus causes the drivers to cam the dies inwardly.

2. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the drivers are rings surrounding the dies.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A FORMING MACHINE HAVING AT LEAST THREE OPPOSED COPLANAR FORMING DIES ARRANGED ON RADII OF THE AXIS OF AN AXIALLY MOVABLE WORKPIECE AND ADAPTED TO EMBRACE IT CIRCUMFERENTIALLY; TWO DRIVERS IN PARALLEL PLANES ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE PLANE OF THE DIES AND DISPOSED OUTSIDE THE OUTER ENDS OF THE DIES; COOPERATING CAM FORMATIONS ON THE INNER SURFACES OF THE DRIVERS AND THE OUTER ENDS OF THE DIES FOR CAMMING THE DIES INWARDLY; SAID DRIVERS BEING ARRANGED TO MOVE AXIALLY, I.E., ALONG THE AXIS OF THE WORKPIECE; SUCH DRIVERS ACTING OPPOSITELY, EQUALLY, AXIALLY, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY SO THAT SUCH ACTION CAMS THE DIES INWARDLY WITH THE AXIAL COMPONENTS OF THE CAMMING FORCES BEING BALANCED OUT SO THAT ONLY THE NET RADIAL COMPONENTS OF THE CAMMING FORCES ARE APPLIED TO SAID DIES; AND ROTORS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE DRIVERS ROTATING ON THE AXIS OF THE WORKPIECE FOR MOVING THE DRIVERS AXIALLY; CAM FORMATIONS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING THE ROTORS AND DRIVERS, WHEREBY ROTATION OF THE ROTORS ON THE WORKPIECE AXIS CAMS THE DRIVERS AXIALLY AND THUS CAUSES THE DRIVERS TO CAM THE DIES INWARDLY.
 2. A MACHINE ACCORDING TO CLAIM 1 WHEREIN THE DRIVERS ARE RINGS SURROUNDING THE DIES. 